Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-03-04
DEPENDENT PENSION BILL.
PASSAGE OVER THE VETO DEFEATED
IN THE HOUSE.
The Presidents Action Strongly support.
ed by Bragg, Morrison and Others.
The Presidents Opinions in 1884
and in 1887 Radically Different


pension bill was taken up by the House
and discussedswith reference TO its passage
over the veto of the president. Mr. Morrill,
OF Kansas pointed out and criticised what
he regarded false assumptions and incon-
sistencies with which the veto message
abouuotd; and appealed to The House in
the name of justice, gratitude and hui
manity to pass the bill which would give
shelter to the worn out veterans who
otherwise would he left to the precarous
provision of private charity or pubic
aims.
Mr.. Bragg of Winconsin spoke at great
length in support Of the veto and referred
to the bill as cone of the most Scandalous
bills which had ever been sent to the
president" The people of the country
without regard to party have every reason
to be thankful that this bill had been
presented to an executive who had back
bone enough to meet the situation
II would grant pensions to men who had
enlisted from December, 1864, to June
1865. Who were those men They were
the scum of the earth. They stayed in
their homes until they were bought by
men who specialized in blood. The gen
almshOuses The men who went there
were native there. They lay down and
opened their mouths for teat to suck
Mr.. Steele of Indiana interjected a remark
Mr.. Bragg said he knew that the gentle
man who had just interrupted him, if he
dared vote his conviction, would vote as
he Bragg did. He knew who had com
mltted themselves day after day in opposi
ii to the principle of the bill and were
grateful tor the veto. Cries of "who are
they ?'I | know what am talking about
have heard them repeated cries
you can't do it, and much noise
and confusion THE republican con
gressmen all OF them" was Bragg's reply,
which was greeted with mingled applause,
laughter and jeers. Mr.. Bragg declared
that the press of the country was opposed
to the bill. These gentlemen who sat up
alOtt (pointing to the press gallery might
some time or other turn this big pension
boom into much larger boomerang in
some gentleman's district Applause
We have Jared as well in our districts as
the gentleman has in his" exclaimed Hen
derson of Iowa and this allusion to
Bragg'S failure to secure a denomination
was greeted with loud and continued
laughter on the republican side Mr..
Bragg repeated that the press was oppos-
ed to the bill. The gallant soldier, the
governor of Maine, Chamberlain. stood by
Yes" cried Boutelle, "and he stand
alone in Maine" Applause on the re-
publican side. II speak for Maine" Jeers
on the democratic side and cries of sorry
for Maine"
Mr.. Bragg COMMUNICATING great sol
der, Palmer of Illinois, stood by the pres
ident. Gov. Cox of Ohio stood by the
president. Old Dan Sickles of the third
army corps said the veto was most
glorious deed. 1t was only the little minds
that went buzzins about like insects that
opposed him.
You stand by the president,
Mr.. l}ragg-NO staff commssary can
ever excite me. | am speaking for what | |
consider the soldiers interest The largest
Grand Army post in my State yesterday
voted not to ask the members of
Why look at the effect The confederate
soldiers without hope are toiling day by
day and exhibiting thrift. industry and
energy never expected of them, while the
Northern man, Independent, self reliant |
industrious, energetic and enterprising
lagS behind into idlenesS. Why 7'beCause
he is waiting for his stipend to come from
the government and when that stipend
comes 1t Is spent quickly and if he comes
from the poor house he lapses back into
that position and waits for another stipend. |
Humanity only needs to he encouraged to
the do nothing policy if we can get some
body to support us and it is not good pub
lie policy for us to legSlate to encourage
Yagab )ndism, whether among our soldiers
or citizens.
Mr.. Morrison said, in my term of Office
have voted for every pension bill present
ed. | voted for this bill, but am satisfied
I does not contain what its friends claim
OF it and that il is fairly subject to the
ELECTIONS urged against it in the veto. The
president did not veto the bill because it
pensOned too many or too few, but because
10y no reasonable construction could man
tell what t d d mean.
Mir. Mckinley Of Ohio said that if he be-
lieved the beneticiares of the bill were
scoundrtlS and VagabOnds he would not
vote Tor It's passage, but he did not believe
with Bragg that the beneGciaries were
either Snirks or Yagabonds. He believed
thOre were thousands scattered over the
country who fought as bravely as the gen
tleman from Wisconsin, though they were
not here to tell of their deeds of courage
and glory Loud laughter and applause
on the republican side Though they
never rode down the line amid the hlzzas
of their comrades
Mr.. Hepburn of Iowa commented on the
fact that every gentleman who had spoken
in opposition to the bill save one had
voted for it originally. There must be
some reason for this. A large number of
them terminate their official lives March
4, and are now about the White House
bending the pregnant hinges Of the knee
that thrift may follow fawninR" Loud
cheers aud laughter on the republican
side deny the right, he continued, of
Mr. Warner and Mr.. Bragg to speak for
the Grand Array of this country. | tell you
that while these gentlemen once did oc-
cupy honorable places in the Grand Army
and were everywhere received yet they
are looked upon to day when they rise in
their places and denounce their old
comrades as vagabonds and scamps
and scum OF humanity az Bene-
dict Arnold was [Renewed cheers
and applause on the republican side
! deny that the great dailies of the cities
speak he sentiment of the country. They
do not do it. They are Its advocates, the
mouthpieces of wealth aggregated in com
munlJles where they are published and
am sorry to say Cand / confess it with
shame that this same wealth is opposed
to these old soldiers. lie warned the PEG
pie of large cities and their dailies that
these old soldiers might yet he needed to
help them, when socialism and anarchism
and communism had grown IN surh Drn-